The Winning Season

I loved this movie. I rented it on demand the same day as theatrical release. I thought it would be a goofy off the wall sort of comedy with Rob Corddry in it as the school principal. To my surprise this was a comedy that was very touching and heartwarming. I loved the developing relationship between Sam Rockwell (the girls coach) and the team. I was also very pleased to see a movie with a group of teenage girls that did not depict them as a bunch of catty little snots. Yes the team has their differences and cliquishness, but that is minimal compared to the bonding that goes on. Margo Martindale is great as the assistant coach. The actors in this movie are pitch perfect acting up to the limit of a real character but never crossing the line to where they are not believable. See this movie when you just want to feel good!

This coming of age school sports drama adds nothing new to the genre. It has the usual tropes, washed out basketball coach, underperforming team with female teenage issues etc. However, it is really well done, with maybe a darker edge to proceedings than usual and some really good performances (Emma Roberts stands out and Rockwell as always puts in a good shift). If you want a coming of age drama and don't mind you have seen it all before, you could do a lot worse than this.

This is a great little movie with a lot of heart that should have gotten more notice. Sam Rockwell is great and continues to prove he's one of the best actors of his generation. Basically, it's about a guy coaching a high school girl's basketball team. A movie doesn't need to have a bunch of effects or explosions or twists to be great. This is an example of a solid, realistic script and wonderful actors coming together to make something that deserves to be seen. If a movie can make me laugh, cry and think, it's one I want to see again and again. You owe it to yourself to give this film a try. There aren't many movies about women's basketball, and I'm glad they took a realistic approach instead of the typical teenage fare.

Sam Rockwell is perfect for this part, and does a great job with it. In real life h can't play basketball at all, but in watching this performance I found myself believing he was an all star. But he has a drinking problem, a very serious problem. The movie doesn't sidestep this at all, but it doesn't drag the movie down either. The actresses playing the girls all do a perfect job, and I commend them all. Emma Roberts is best, with Sharika Epps right behind. And Margo Martindale is fantastic, seems made for the part of the bus driver and then assistant coach. The Negotiation between her and Sam to take the job is hilarious. I won't give any real spoilers here, other than to say that I was left with the feeling that Sams Coach will recover in the end, and I found the ending was perfect for this disease, from which you're never totally cured.

In many ways, "The Winning Season" is a bit like "The Bad News Bears" for the 21st century, though I certainly enjoyed this newer film much more. I draw the comparison because a rather crude drunk (Sam Rockwell) reluctantly takes over as coach of a rather bedraggled team--much like Walter Matthau in "The Bad News Bears".

The film begins with Rockwell working in the kitchen at a greasy spoon. It seems his life has spiraled out of control and he is now being given a chance at coaching once again. But, he's a drunk and his relationship with his ex-wife and daughter are a mess...and he seems to have zero people or coaching skills. How the heck can he pull together a team consisting of only six girls to make a winning season?

This is an inappropriate film. It's fill of inappropriate language and I'd hate to think of either of my daughters ever having a coach like this guy. But, it's odd because you do like the guy in an odd way--he's not all bad. And, the dialog is quite clever and funny--and filled with expletives I think of it as a guilty pleasure--and a somewhat clichéd one as well. But, it's still likable and clever and well worth seeing if just for Rockwell's strange portrayal.